Oh, avocado, how I love thee.
Seriously.
Avocado is one of my all-time favourite fruits. So delicious, creamy and versatile. I add it to sauces, salads, dips and of course, it’s my #1 toast topper.
So many reasons to love avocado. They’re full of good fats; both heart-healthy monounsaturated fats as well as the anti-inflammatory omega 3s. These “alligator pears” are a fantastic food to battle inflammation not only because of those fats, but also because they are chock-full of vitamins C and E, selenium and zinc. They are also jammed with lots of other health-promoting nutrients like protein, soluble fibre and potassium. In fact, avocados have more soluble fibre than any other fruit and more potassium than bananas! BTW, make sure to get the darker green flesh right next to the skin as that’s where the highest concentration of nutrients are!
As far as toast is concerned, you know my take on bread: as long as you don’t have an underlying sensitivity or allergy, a little healthy bread every once and a while is a great treat! I found these beautiful multigrain and whole wheat handmade sourdough babies at a local café and I encourage you to look around for a place that sells whole grain, handmade sourdough – most farmer’s markets will carry this stuff. Sourdough is easier to digest because it’s a fermented product.
The sky is the limit when it comes to avocado on toast combinations, but I’m going to share 5 easy and super tasty avocado toast variations in this post to get you started.
The basic avocado on toast can be straight up, but I usually always add a squeeze of lemon or lime and a bit of sea salt. Just scoop out the avocado and mash it on your toast with a fork. Here, I’ve also sprinkled on a little bit of sesame seeds for added protein and calcium. Once you’ve got that down, add any of the following or get creative and do your own thing!
Fresh Dill and Goat Feta
Fresh herbs are a great addition to just about anything, but I gotta say, dill is one of my faves! It’s delicious, tangy essential oils actually help promote healthy digestion. Speaking of digestion, when I do dairy, I usually stick with goat or sheep cheese because it’s easier to digest and assimilate than cow’s dairy. This tart and salty combo is such a treat!
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Chives
Simply, toss cherry tomatoes with a little olive or coconut oil, salt and pepper and roast in 350F oven on a baking sheet for 10-15 minutes. I usually roast up a cup or two so that I have a few leftovers in the fridge to add to salads later on. You can cut them in half before adding to the toast if it makes it easier to eat. Tomatoes are one of the foods that actually become more nutritious when cooked (the heat allows our bodies to better absorb the antioxidant lycopene).
Egg and Green Onion
Start with organic eggs from pasture-raised hens, full of protein, minerals and vitamins like choline for brain health. Boil eggs to desired firmness (I usually do mine for 7-8 minutes) peel and slice. Again, I always do a few extra eggs to have them on hand in the fridge through the week. Eggs and avocados just go together. This makes a great breakfast, snack or light lunch.
Toasted Almonds and Raw Honey
This creamy, sweet and crunchy combo will knock your socks off. Toast the almonds in a 350F oven for 5-10 minutes. Once the almonds have cooled, pound in pestle and mortar or in a plastic bag with the back of a rolling pin then sprinkle on basic avo toast and drizzle with softened raw honey (make sure to get raw, unpasteurized honey, which has all the enzymes, antioxidants and antibacterial properties in-tact).
Cilantro Cashew Cream and Chili Flakes
If you’re looking to make something a little fancier, try this cilantro cashew cream drizzle with chili flakes. On top of being delicious, cashews are a great source of protein, vitamins like E and important minerals like magnesium. Plus they make the easiest cream sauce ever. For this variation just use lime juice instead of lemon and add 2 tbsp. cilantro. The sprinkle of chili flakes can boost metabolism and decrease pain.
What’s your favourite avocado and toast combination? I’d love to hear from you. Let me know in the comments below.